Let Your Heart Be Light
by T2 Angel
Summary: Ash and Misty broke up a year ago to pursue their own dreams and goals but Christmas sends them back into each other's paths and to the love that never faded. AAML Christmas. Triple-shot.
1. Part 1: Home

**A/N: 12.25.2018**

 **MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!**

 **You guys have no idea how much of a relief this is. I've been working on this story for a year. A YEAR! I started this back in November of 2017 to have it ready for Christmas LAST YEAR! I don't know what happened. But, now, I'm kinda glad it took so long. I really do love the finished product.  
**

 **The reason why I made this a triple-shot is because the word count was so high. I thought breaking it up into three parts would make it an easier read.**

 **I hope you guys enjoy!**

* * *

 **Part 1: Home**

Ash stared out of the window as the train ran down the tracks. He watched the landscape pass by and looked up at the cloudy sky as little bits of snow fluttered down. He was headed back to Pallet, from his home in Goldenrod City, for Christmas with his mother. It had been sometime since he had been back in Pallet. He moved to Goldenrod after finally achieving his lifelong of becoming a Pokémon Champion, even winning the title in three different Leagues. Those victories earned him the distinct honor of being known as a Pokémon Master. Though the realization of his dream was amazing, he found that the lifestyle was demanding and exhausting. It was two days before Christmas and he could really use the chance to relax and collect himself from the hard year he had.

Especially since the road to becoming a Champion meant that he had to lose the love of his life.

Misty.

Ash rubbed the back of his head. It had been just over a year since he'd seen her last in person. Ever since they decided to break-up so they could pursue their own goals, separately. That was just one more reason to look forward to going home: to recharge his batteries and give his emotions a break. He hadn't worked out how that last part would work yet, since he and Misty spent so much time in Pallet and everything there would remind him of her. He hoped he would figure it out.

He wasn't that confident in that plan but he held out hope.

After the train arrived in Saffron City, Ash rented a car and drove to Pallet Town. Once he got to his mother's house, Ash parked his car and got out. But he didn't even get close to the door before it flew open and his mother, Delia, raced out of the house and threw her arms around her only child's rib cage, squeezing him with all her might.

"ASH!" Delia screamed.

Ash could barely breathe at his mother's grip. "Um!" He coughed, "Hi, Mom!"

"Hi, son!"

"Can't breathe, Mom!"

"Oh!" She let him go. "Sorry!"

He took a few deep breaths, "No worries. So, I was going to ask if you missed me but that would be a stupid question."

"I wouldn't want to ask such a ridiculous question, anyway. To ask if I missed you! Ridiculous."

"You said 'ridiculous' twice."

"Oh, hush!" she chided. "Anyway, I have a surprise for you."

"I'd guess so," he said. "It's almost Christmas."

"Besides the usual." Delia beckoned Ash to come into the house. "I think this surprise is even better."

When Ash walked in, he saw Brock and Lucy, one of the Frontier Brains of Kanto and Brock's girlfriend, sitting at the kitchen table.

Ash's smile brightened even more, "BROCK?!"

Brock stood up, immediately. "What's up, little brother?!"

They engulfed each other in a bear hug.

Brock hit Ash's back a couple of times, "How you been?"

"Better now," Ash said. They released the hug and Ash looked over Brock. "You been workin' out?"

"Here and there," Brock said. "I was about to ask you the same question."

Ash shrugged, "Single guy. Pokémon Master. What else can I do?" He looked over at the Pike Queen. "Lucy. Great to see you."

"Right back at you, Ash," Lucy said as they hugged each other.

They released the hug and Brock examined Ash further, "What's with the goatee?" he asked.

Ash shrugged, "Thought I'd change my look around. Whadda ya think?"

Brock smirked, "Jury's still out."

Ash narrowed his eyes. "You're a jerk."

"Some times."

"A _lot_ of the time," Lucy said.

"But you love me," Brock said to her.

"For some reason," she replied.

"So, what brought you guys out here?" Ash asked.

"Lucy's never had the pleasure of a Pallet Christmas," Brock said.

Ash's eyes widened as he feigned offense. "What? That's unheard of! How could you, Brock?!"

Brock folded his arms.

"For shame!" Ash shook his head. "Well, it's about time you brought her out here, then!"

"You're right, you're right." Brock smiled, warmly. "And I thought now would be better than ever."

"How come?" Ash asked.

Brock shrugged, "Reasons."

Ash chuckled, "You're weird, brother."

"And that's new?"

"Nope. And I'm grateful that some things never change."

"Some things do," Lucy said. "Three League wins. In one year! That's an amazing accomplishment, Ash. You should be very proud of yourself."

"We're proud of you," Brock said.

"All of us," Delia said, as she resumed her cooking.

Ash smiled and blushed a bit, "Thanks." He looked at Brock and, as nonchalantly as he could muster, said, "Sooooo…"

"Misty's doing fine," Brock said. "Spending Christmas with her sisters."

Lucy burst into laughter while Delia just smiled.

Ash's clenched his jaw and stared daggers at Brock. "Can you NOT do things like that?!"

"Stop being so predictable," Brock said as he headed into the living room, Lucy trailing behind him.

"You're the salt of the earth, Brock," Ash said, following them.

For the next hour, Ash, Brock, and Lucy conversed in the living room about various subjects and watched television while Delia continued to do her work in the kitchen. Ash looked in the kitchen and noticed that his mother seemed to be hard at work for only the four of them to be having dinner. He imagined that maybe she was sending some of the food to someone else. She was, after all, the de facto mother of everyone in the neighborhood, and all of Pallet on some levels.

The doorbell rang and Delia called out, "Ash, would you be a dear and get the door? My hands are full at the moment."

"Yeah, sure," Ash got up.

Ash walked to the door and opened it.

For the first time in a year, Ash was face to face with Misty.

 _ **To Be Continued...**_


	2. Part 2: Truth

**Part 2: Truth**

Ash and Misty couldn't help but stand frozen in place, stunned at seeing the other. They couldn't even speak for what seemed like the longest time.

"Misty," Ash whispered. He could never get over how beautiful she was and, every time he saw her, it was like she was more beautiful than before.

"Ash," Misty breathed out. His eyes, immediately, captivated her.

Misty rushed forward and wrapped arms around Ash. He shook his off his shock and hugged her back, both of them having tears come from their eyes.

"Oh, my God," Misty whispered. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," Ash said.

She shuddered. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too." He pulled back and looked at her, "Wow. You are so beautiful."

She blushed. "Thanks. That, uh… goatee looks good on you."

"Y-ya think?" Ash placed his hand on it. "Brock said it looked funny. I was thinking about shaving it off."

"I like it. Makes you look rugged."

"Guess I can keep it around… f-for a little while longer."

"Good," Misty replied.

Ash looked behind her and saw Misty's sisters were standing behind her. "Oh! Daisy! Violet! Lily! Hi. Uh, my bad. Didn't see you there."

"Yeah," Daisy said. "We noticed. But, like, no worries."

Ash and Misty moved out of the way of the door to let them and everyone exchanged greetings.

Ash looked around then focused back on Misty, "So, uh… how are you? How, uh… how you been?"

"Oh, great!" Misty replied. "Just, uh… you know… Elite Four and all."

"Yeah," he chuckled. "Yeah, I was… super proud of you for making it."

"Back at you. Three League wins. Title of Master."

"Yeah, it's pretty cool. Did you, uh, did you get my gift?"

Misty lifted her wrist to show him her bracelet made of decorative turquoise stones. "You mean this?"

Ash felt his heart skip a beat but he maintained his composure. "Oh. You like it. Sweet."

"Like it?!" Lily said. "She, like, never takes it off!"

Daisy slapped her hand over Lily's mouth. "What Lily means is that Misty can speak for herself."

Misty smiled and looked at Ash, "I love it. You didn't have to."

"Yeah, right," Ash said. "You're one of the Elite Four. I'd be lousy if I didn't send you something."

"And since I didn't send you anything? What does that say?"

"That you're a lot busier than me. Elite Four got more to do than have random battles. I know that from experience working with Karen. Don't beat yourself up over it."

"Well, regardless," Misty said, "I was so proud of you when I heard you won. You deserve it."

"Thanks," Ash replied.

Delia walked back into the living room, "Misty! Daisy, Lily, Violet! So glad that you made it!"

Daisy turned to her, "Hey, there, Mrs. Ketchum! Thanks for the invite!"

Ash narrowed his eyes at that.

"Of course, dears!" Delia said. "It's the holidays! Being surrounded by family and friends is in the true spirit of the season."

"Still, thanks for inviting us," Misty said. She walked up and hugged Delia. "You didn't have to."

Delia smiled. "Oh, yes, I did." They released the hug, "My dear little Misty."

Misty smiled at that, tears forming all over again. She realized that she tended to have some tears of happiness whenever she came to Pallet.

Ash blinked a few times, "Uh, Mom? Can I talk to you for a sec in the garage?"

Delia smiled, knowingly. "Of course, son." She looked at everyone, "We'll be right back."

They walked into the garage and Delia looked at her car, "I'm glad you wanted to talk, Ash. I needed to see if I left anything in the car." She headed to the car and opened the driver's side door.

"Uh-huh." Ash folded his arms. "Mom?"

Delia looked at him, "Yes, dear?"

"Did you know Misty was coming?"

"Of course, I did." She looked back at the car, "She and Brock talk to me all the time. She asked me weeks ago." She opened the trunk, closed the driver's side door, and walked over to the trunk, "I couldn't and wouldn't tell her 'no'. I love Misty."

"And you didn't think to tell me?" Ash asked.

Delia stopped then stared at her son. She feigned surprise, complete with a gasp. " _What?!_ I didn't tell you?!" She pressed her hands to her cheeks, "Oh, _dear!_ Son, I am so sorry!"

"Oh, come on, Mom!" Ash shouted.

Delia laughed.

Ash groaned, "Mom."

"Sweetie, Misty and her sisters wanted to be around family for Christmas and, as long as I'm breathing and walking this planet, they will _always_ be family. And, if Misty and Brock aren't family to us, I have absolutely no idea who is."

"That's not the problem! Of course, they're welcome here! And I'm not talking about Brock or Misty's sisters!"

"Then what are we talking about?" Delia asked.

Ash took a breath as his mind raced, "I'm just… I mean… why didn't you tell me _Misty_ was coming?"

"Because you may have very well tried to find a way to be elsewhere for Christmas if I told you. Besides, I didn't tell her you'd be here, either, because she might've done the same! And because I never agreed with you two breaking up in the first place! Your reasoning was absolutely absurd!"

"We wanted to pursue our own goals! And not stress about our relationship!"

"Like I said, absurd!" Delia asked. "Both of you calling me every other day asking if I'd talked to the other. You might as well have stayed together since you both know what the other was doing every day!"

Ash stared at her, blankly. "Misty… called that often?"

"Calls, video, letters, all of the above."

Ash was taken aback. "Oh."

"And you can't tell me she hasn't talked to you," Delia said. "At all."

Ash looked away, "Every now and again. We kept it brief."

"And why?" Delia asked.

Ash rubbed the back of his head, "Because we knew, for sure, if we talked for too long, we'd end up getting back together."

"And that is bad because?" Delia asked.

Ash rolled his eyes.

"Son, you have been in love with Misty since you were ten-years-old."

"Eleven," Ash corrected. "Maybe, twelve. I was very stupid at ten."

"I'm going to borrow a word from you, Ash: whatever."

Ash chuckled. He'd never heard his mother say that before.

"The point is… you and Misty go together like… honey and tea. It's just right."

Ash looked down at the ground.

Delia closed the trunk and walked to up to her son, placing her hands on his shoulders. "She's here now. What's the problem?"

"Because I almost openly said 'let's get back together' the second I saw her," Ash admitted.

"And that's wrong?"

"I'm not sure that's what she wants."

"Yes, you do," Delia replied.

"Maybe," Ash admitted with a shrug.

Delia patted Ash's shoulders, "Do what you feel is right, son. You seem to have a habit of making the right decisions. Except for when you broke up with Misty in the first place."

"Moooom," Ash groaned.

"Just saying." She walked over to the passenger side, opened the door, and pulled something out of the glove compartment before, quickly, sliding it in her pocket.

Ash looked at her, curiously. "Wait, you actually had something to get out of the car?"

"Well, of course." Delia closed the door.

"What is it?"

"Something for later."

"Then why were you looking all over the car if you knew where it was?"

"I was stalling," she said, simply. "We needed to talk." She walked back toward the door to the house, "Come on."

Ash stood for a second, wrapping his mind around what he just heard. He'd never known his mother to be so sneaky. He rolled his eyes and followed after Delia.

They all sat in the living room for another hour with his mother still cooking. Ash and Misty were doing their best not stare at each but failed more often than not. Everyone in the room noticed but managed not to call them out on it.

Dinner was as perfect as everyone knew it would be with Delia making it. After dinner, everyone went back to the living room, still talking about whatever topics came up. Everyone that is, except for Brock and Delia. They stayed in the kitchen to clean up and Ash noticed that they seemed to be whispering to each other a lot. Ash wanted to eavesdrop on Brock and Delia but kept getting distracted by the fact that Misty was still in the room. Brock walked back into the living room, and, as he was passing Ash, Brock looked at his de facto little brother and gave him a quick smirk. Ash jerked his head back, wondering what that meant. After a moment, Delia walked in the room, standing against the wall.

"Well, I'm glad everyone made it here," Brock said.

"Well, this _is_ _my_ mother's house," Ash shrugged. "So…"

"Shut up," Brock declared. He walked over to his girlfriend. "Lucy."

"Yeah?" Lucy asked, looking at him.

"We've been going out for a long time," Brock said. "And…"

"No, you're not!" Lucy said as a smile came across her face and her eyes began to well up.

"Yeah, I am." Brock pulled a ring box out of his pocket and got down on one knee.

"Holy crap!" Ash shouted.

"Oh, my God!" Misty said, covering her mouth.

"Since you already spoiled the surprise," Brock joked, opening the ring box, "I'll cut to the chase: Lucy, will you marry me?"

"Oh, you rock head, you bet I will!" Lucy shouted.

At that moment, the amount of cheers in the Ketchum house were akin to a hometown football team winning the game of the century.

Ash and Misty shared a brief look at each other, smiles on their faces. And deep longing in both of their hearts.

 _ **To Be Continued…**_


	3. Part 3: Reconnect

**Part 3: Reconnect**

About an hour after Brock's proposal, Ash was sitting outside on a bench Delia had placed in front of the house. He was gathering his thoughts of everything that had taken place. From seeing Misty to Brock's engagement, that was a lot to absorb in a short amount of time. Misty walked outside and found Ash out there.

"Oh!" Misty gasped.

Ash looked at her and blushed. "Oh. Uh. Hey."

"Hey." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'll, uh… go back inside. I didn't mean to bother you."

"Don't be silly. Come, sit down."

"Okay!" she said, immediately. She stopped. "I mean… thanks." She walked over and sat down.

"So, can we talk about Brock now?" Ash asked, smiling.

"Oh, my God, yes!" Misty replied, instantly.

"How crazy is this?!" Ash threw his back against the bench.

"So crazy! I can't believe this! Brock is getting married!"

"But it's to Lucy. At least, it's not some random girl he was proposing to, like he used to."

Misty giggled. "Yeah." She remembered back to that time in their lives. "Those days were fun, though. Weren't they?"

Ash smiled. "The best."

"I never knew what was going to happen next. But I couldn't have asked for better company."

"Ditto."

They fell silent again. They wanted to say more, admit a lot of things, say speeches they had each rehearsed hundreds of times. But it was so hard to interrupt the perfection of the moment of just getting to be next to each other again.

"Nice night," Misty said, breaking the silence.

"Yeah," Ash said. He looked up at the night's sky. "Always great to come home."

"For me, too."

He looked at her, his eyebrow raised slightly.

She looked back at him and giggled. "Don't look so surprised. I consider this home, too. Your mom invites me enough."

Ash rolled his eyes. "I knew it."

"Don't get mad at her, I subtly beg." Misty shrugged, "Like, every other time we talk."

"It's okay." He stared at Misty for a few seconds.

Misty noticed his gaze and started to blush. "Wha, uh… what is it?"

"Walk with me," Ash said. "It's been a while since we walked together."

"O-Okay."

They got up and started walking down the path, leading away from the house. They walked for a while it total silence. But they didn't mind. They were back in each other's company, something they had wanted for a year. It was a little cold tonight but they hardly noticed. Nothing could stop this moment.

If they could only figure out what to say to each other.

Ash finally found a way to break the ice. He cleared his throat, getting Misty's attention. "I, uh, thought I'd be seeing you in Goldenrod at some point." It was a lousy opener, he admitted to himself, but he wanted to say something.

Misty blushed and swallowed the lump in her throat, "Oh. Uh… yeah. Just… kept being busy. Ya know. Water Master and all."

"Yeah, yeah. That can get crazy."

Misty let out a frustrated exhale and stopped walking, causing Ash to stop as well, "Okay, okay! I'm sorry! So many times I wanted to come see you. But… it… got so hard. I just… after we broke up…" She paused and shook her head, "I couldn't face you."

"Misty, I wasn't any better," Ash replied. "What? I can't get a ticket to Cerulean?"

"I guess it just hurt too much."

"Yeah. I knew the second I saw you… I'd do everything I could to get back together with you."

Misty nodded her head, "Yeah. Ditto."

He looked up the hill, gazing at a bench at the top. "We're back here."

She looked at the bench. "Whoa. We are."

They walked up to the bench and sat down. It before Christmas last year when they broke up. The snow hadn't fallen in Pallet yet, but fall had set in, completely. Their minds drifted back to that fateful day, getting caught in the emotions of it all.

"I replay that day a lot," he admitted.

"Yeah," she whispered. "Me, too."

* * *

 _ **13 Months Ago.**_

 _Ash and Misty sat looking at the sun setting, preparing to go in their own directions. Misty was getting a chance to rise through the ranks of the Kanto region gym leaders with the possibility of becoming one of the Elite Four. Ash knew that there would be, at least, two Leagues he could compete in within the next year. He could be a Champion twice over, putting him firmly on the path of earning the title of Master. But he would have to go to Johto and Hoenn to accomplish that._

 _They agreed that they needed to go their separate ways to do this. They just needed to leave. That was the hardest part._

" _So," Ash said. "Are we really doing this?"_

" _It's the right thing to do," Misty said. "But… boy, is this hard."_

" _Tell me about it."_

 _She looked at him, "Ash. Please, don't think for a second that this means that I don't love you."_

" _Not at all." He smiled. "I hope you know the same is true for me."_

" _I know." She felt tears coming, she quickly turned around. "So… Goldenrod."_

 _He felt a few tears trying to work their way down. "Uh… y-yeah." He took a deep breath. "Bright lights, big city."_

 _They both were silent for a long time. They just stared at the scenery of Pallet._

 _Misty smiled. "You're gonna do it, ya know. You're gonna take the world by storm."_

 _Ash grinned. "So are you. You're gonna be the Water Pokémon Master that the world has been waiting for."_

" _Thanks." Misty looked at her car. "I… I should probably start driving home."_

 _Ash nodded, solemnly. "Right."_

 _Misty stood up. "I would ask for a hug… but I wouldn't let you go."_

" _Same."_

 _Misty walked away from the bench but stopped, staring at her car. "Good-bye, Ash."_

 _Ash couldn't turn toward her. "Good-bye, Misty."_

 _Misty walked to her car while Ash kept staring at the landscape. Misty walked slow, trying to make herself move faster so shouldn't rush back over to Ash and stay with him. Ash was fighting every single urge in his body to get up and chase after. He wouldn't even let himself turn around to see her leave. That alone would hurt too much. Misty got her car, she couldn't look back at Ash. She started her car and drove away._

 _They both had tears streaming down their faces. But they were doing the right thing. Or so they had convinced themselves._

* * *

 _ **Present Day.**_

As the memory completed its replay for them both, Ash and Misty both had to take deep breaths and steady themselves, even though they were sitting down.

"That was a hard day," Ash admitted.

"Yeah, it was," Misty agreed. "It was a long drive back to Cerulean."

"How'd you make it?"

"Just barely."

"But." Ash shrugged. "We did it. So. I… guess it was worth it. Right?"

Misty smiled. "I guess so. We lived our dreams. Got…" Her smile fell a bit. "…got everything we ever wanted."

"Yeah." Ash looked at the lake, "Yeah. Everything."

Misty's became fixed on the ground as she started rubbing her arm.

Ash stared at Misty and took a deep breath. He really had enough of this and he had one chance to do this. "Ya know what? I'm not letting this get away from me."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… let's give this another shot. All in. You and me."

Misty looked at him, astonished. "What?"

Ash took hold of Misty's hands and declared, "I'm in love with you, Misty." It felt great to say that to her. "I have been since we were kids and it never stopped. And it never will. At all. Even if I could stop it, I wouldn't want to. I love you too much to ever that let go."

"Ash…" she whispered.

"We can work out living situations and everything but…" He shook his head, "Misty, I've got everything I've ever wanted. But you're the one person I've always needed. You motivate me, pick me up when I'm down, and you don't let me think less of myself. You don't always pat me on the back because you know how stubborn I can. You have to smack me in the head, sometimes, and, somehow, you always know when I need one or the other."

Misty smiled, "It's because you're so thickheaded! Hardly can tell when the slaps get through."

"It's hit-and-miss, to be honest."

They laughed at that.

Misty stared at him. She was already convinced. She'd wanted this for a year. She wanted to hear him say those words to her for a year. It was worth the wait. "I love you, Ash. I love you so much. It was so hard to break up with you back then."

"For me, too," Ash said.

"If we do this… and believe me, I want to… how? I mean… you're in Johto, now, and…"

"So, I'll move back to Kanto."

She stared at him, blankly. "What?"

He chuckled, "What? A Champion can't move back to his home region? I can move to Saffron. Bright lights, not-quite-as-big city, but, hey, that works for me."

"Ash. You can't change your entire life for me."

He stared at her, indignantly. "Says who?"

His simple response left her speechless.

He smiled, lovingly. "Did you hear a word I said a moment ago? Misty, you let me go so I could chase my dream. You loved me enough to say 'go do what you have to.'"

"You did the same for me," she said.

"But if you had asked me to stay with you while you became a member of the Elite Four, even if that meant that I couldn't be a Champion, for you… I would've done it. No problem. But you didn't do that. You let me chase my dream while you chased yours." He shrugged, "I did it. And it's because you didn't want to hold me back. You never would have, anyway, but that's a point we'll argue for the rest of our lives."

She laughed again.

"Us ending hurt you," he admitted. "I know it hurt me. But look at you. You're a Master, too. You got what you wanted because you earned it."

"Yeah," she replied.

"So… I'm hoping I'm still on the list of things you want."

"Yeah, you are." She threw her arms around and hugged him with all she had. "Ash." Tears were streaming down her eyes. "I've missed you so much."

"I missed you, too," he said, hugging her back. "Man, I love you, Misty."

"I love you, too." They pulled back but kept their arms around each other. Misty gazed into Ash's eyes, "Please, kiss me."

Ash didn't say another word before he moved forward and pressed his lips to hers. Misty was almost surprised by how suddenly he kissed her, but she was a long way from complaining. After the kiss, they stared at each other.

"You know Brock's never gonna let us live this down, right?" Misty asked. "Or my sisters."

"This is you assuming my mom won't be the worst of all of them," Ash remarked.

Misty giggled. "Let's be honest: they'll all be horrible. For at least a month."

"Or forever. But… it'll be worth it."

"Yeah, it will."

Ash gazed into her eyes. "Misty. I want to ask you something. And, no matter your answer, it's okay. Nothing about what we just said will change."

"Okay," Misty replied.

"Will you marry…"

"Yes," she interrupted.

Ash's eyes widened. "What?"

"Yes, Ash. Absolutely."

He smiled. "I don't have a ring."

"That can wait," she said. "I hardly need one." She motioned toward her bracelet. "This can count."

"For now." He smiled. "I love you, Misty. With all my heart."

"I love you, too."

 _ **The End**_

* * *

 **A/N: AWESOME NEWS! I AM ENGAGED! MY GIRLFRIEND OF THREE YEARS SAID YES!  
**

 **That's just one reason why I'm glad it took me a year to finish this one. It coincided perfectly with that great news. Everyone knows that I love AAML and this is one of my favorite Christmas and AAML stories.**

 **For other news, this story and the Sleepy Hollow one-shot I uploaded should be up on Archive of Our Own in about a week or so. I'm gonna be posting stories here and there starting in 2019. At least, that's my plan.**

 **Thank you all for sticking with me. Take care and stay blessed. MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!**


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